


The Practical Value of a Sweet Love Story

by slowdissolve



Series: KyaLin Sketches and Adventures [5]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Awkward Romance, Background Relationships, F/F, Fluff, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 21:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11677629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slowdissolve/pseuds/slowdissolve
Summary: The owner of the Kyoshi Island Women's Club in Republic City tells Kya how she and her beloved met.





	The Practical Value of a Sweet Love Story

Lin was away, to Ba Sing Se, to give a speech at the Earth Republics legislature.

Kya was so excited for her, and so proud of her. Lin was pursuing her vision of keeping young children away from lives of crime by providing them with an early education. She had such a look of hope and purpose as she’d boarded the airship yesterday.

But Kya remained in Republic City; there was a need for healers these days, with so much reconstruction going on. There was so much work to do, all the time. In spite of Mako’s task force, contractors were taking shortcuts to get projects done and save a few yuan, and hapless workers paid the price with their bodies. Burns, cuts, crush injuries. It had been a long day.

At this hour, however, it was time to unwind, and since Lin was out of town, and Katara out at Air Temple Island playing with her grandchildren, Kya went to visit friends at the Kyoshi Island women’s club.

She and Lin went as often as they were able, but lately that seemed to be not too often. Lin’s work as Chief of Police came before everything else. There had always been a bit too much to do at the station, but Mako was stepping up and filling in very nicely. But that meant that any time freed up would have to go toward her other projects. Thus the trip.

Kya passed Smellerbee and 32nd Street, stepped down the old stairs and knocked on the iron-bound entry, and offered this week’s password to the eyes behind the little sliding door. “Two turtleducks,” she said, with a grin.

At the bar, Tok was busy polishing an already-gleaming surface. Business was slow this early in the week, but the regulars were there, finishing up dinner. Miki’s meals were always delicious. Her skills with traditional Southern style Water Tribe foods were well known in their community.

She settled into a seat at the bar.

“Kya!” Tok beamed. “How you been, sweetheart?”

“Livin’ the good life.”

“Spirits as my witness, I never thought I’d say this, but married life suits you,” Tok said. “I heard about that fancy ring Lin made for you.”

Kya couldn’t help but look at the ring once again. Two intricate and elegantly fashioned koi made of gold and silver held a small fragment of the glowing stone found at the Cave of Two Lovers near Omashu. Lin’s metalbending prowess was widely known; her artistic talent less so. She displayed it for Tok to admire.

“Lin is… amazing,” she said, wishing she had a better word.

“She’d have to be, to get you to settle down,” Tok laughed.

“How are you, though, Tok?”

“Doin’ pretty good. Nothing to complain about. Business is good. New girls finding us all the time. It makes me a little worried, sometimes, honestly.”

“It does?”

“Well, you know. We’ve always been a tight bunch here. You know.”

Kya did indeed. She’d been coming to Kyoshi Island for many years, since she was young, and always found a welcome there.

“New faces are going to keep you in business, though.”

“The more popular we get, the more risk we’re at of being less…private.”

“This is true,” Kya agreed. “Change happens. Gotta flow with it, I guess.”

Tok sighed. “Yeah…” she said, wistfully. “I kinda miss the good old days.”

“Good old days were usually not so good as you remember them.”

“We had some rough spots, for sure. But I remember when Miki and I first took over. It was a family then.”

“It’s a family now, honey,” Kya said, sympathetically. “We’re still here,” as she gestured around the room of familiar faces.

“I know, I know. I’m just in a mood, I guess.”

“Tell me about how you and Miki met. I don’t think you’ve ever told me that.”

“You never sat down long enough to listen!” Tok laughed again. “Dancin’ on the bar, shakin’ your tail with all those girls every weekend!”

“Now those were the good old days!” Kya teased.

“You remember it was Dís’ cousin Helki owned it, before we gave it a name,” Tok reminisced.

“I do remember,” she said, unconsciously moving her hand up toward her throat before remembering that Lin now wore her betrothal necklace. She smiled.

“Miki and I were together a couple of years before we started taking over for Helki. I sure miss her.”

“But how did you meet?”

“Well… let me tell you.”

* * *

 

Tukkatok was born in a little village on the shore of the Northern Water Tribe lands. Her father was a fisherman, like so many others, and her mother tended the home and hearth. She had three sisters and three brothers. She was precisely in the middle of the family.

Tok disliked the traditional role of a Water Tribe woman. As a non-bender, she was stuck with dreary tasks like laundry and sewing, cooking and cleaning. Her father and her older brothers brought back the catch at the end of their day, and she and her sisters cleaned the fish for dinner and prepared the rest for the long winter months, when the sea was too frozen to fish except through holes drilled in the ice. She learned to make penguin seal jerky and shoes, wooden spoons and smoked sausage; but she did not get to learn how to make boomerangs or knives or spears, and never to hunt or fish, though she longed to. Her brothers were allowed face paint at festivals. She had to sew beads on her dress, if she wanted to be seen at all.

She felt different from everyone, all the time. What her brothers wanted, what her sisters looked forward to… it all felt dismally set in stone. The Water Tribe, with its ancient heroic stories, told around a fire at night, were the stories of her people; but those stories of heroes were always about men, and usually about benders. She longed to hear about a girl like herself who was more than a helpmate to a man; even the story of Princess Yue, the young woman who saved the tribe by offering her own life… it was a sad story.

When she came of age, she was expected to find a husband. So far, it hadn’t been a very successful search. Dances arranged for single girls to meet eligible boys were held, and she was required to attend. She bravely held up the wall every time. Between her lack of interest in the boys, and her self-consciousness about her shape, she danced not a single step.

Her father was irritated. Everyone else was managing just fine. What was wrong with Tukkatok? Just get out there and find a man, he said. Her mother, silent and judging, did nothing to defend her.

If a girl couldn’t find a husband for herself, arrangements could be made. Those sometimes worked, sometimes didn’t. But the idea of being a servant to some stranger, never mind bearing children for him, filled her with such unease that she began to consider leaving everything behind.

It was difficult to imagine life anywhere but the fishing village, and she knew little about the world, except from discussions between her father and brothers about goings on with traders from the other nations. But unless she submitted to an arranged marriage, it was time to get out, and make her own way, whatever that might be.

She left without a word, one morning. No goodbyes, no tears. She hardly felt she’d be missed. Tok simply packed a bag with what little she owned, took some of the food she’d preserved, and walked away. Her mother glanced over her shoulder at her, but said nothing.

She went down to the docks, and climbed aboard a vessel headed south to Republic City. She traded her labor for her passage, cleaning mostly, lifting and carrying things. She was a strong girl, and did whatever was needed. Tok listened intently to every word about what was in the city… bustling streets and bright lights. The Avatar lived on an island in the harbor. There were factories, hungry to hire workers from anywhere.

In such a big, busy place, she was certain to find others like herself. Maybe a friend or two.

It was a whirl, landing in the city, and there were people everywhere she looked. It was almost overwhelming, the noise and the fast-moving cars, so different from her little village. She wandered about most of the day, wondering where she might stay the first night, when a couple of Water Tribe men walked by. She followed them a while, afraid to say hello, when one of them noticed and asked where she was headed. She looked at her poor clothes and admitted she had no idea.

They took her to a bar, and bought her a meal and a few drinks. She was dazzled by their generosity and eagerness to help her out. But at the end of the meal, her head swimming with too much sweet stuff to drink, and quite tired and lost, she became frightened when they tried to coax her back to their rooms. She tried to leave, but one took her by the arm and gripped it tight. The other laughed and told her not to worry, they’d take care of her, but the look in his eyes was anything but reassuring.

But Tok was a strong girl. She broke the grip of the one who held her with a twist of her arm, and sent a knee to the groin of the laughing man. An elbow found the nose of the first, and a fist found the nose of the second. Growing up with brothers had some small advantages, it turned out.

She stumbled out into the street, still dizzy but determined to get anywhere. She ran a block, jogged another, and walked breathless a third, before turning a corner. She went down a dark street, and realized her first night in Republic City would be sleeping outside. She found a stairwell out of the cool breeze, and settled down in the corner, glad for her parka even though winter had not yet come. And then she burst into tears.

Tok wept for the loss of her home and security, but not for long. She reminded herself that she was on the path to something better, and this would mean some hard nights. She’d taken big steps forward; she’d learned a million things already. Tomorrow she’d start again, and say hello more, and find out where the jobs were. All it took was asking people questions… and being a little more careful about whom she was asking.

She settled into the hard stone corner, and began to drift off to sleep.

After a while, the door in the stairwell opened, and bumped Tok awake. It was dark out, and very quiet. Two women were about to climb the stairs when they noticed her. She apologized to them, almost without thinking, but they helped her to her feet and took her inside.

Helki stood behind the bar. She was tall and beautiful. Her hair had been bleached a bright gold, and her blue Water Tribe eyes were striking.

She rolled her eyes a little, but smiled. “Another? These poor kids.”

Tok shook herself to clear her mind, sleepy and still a little addled, and stood as straight as her stout frame would allow. “I’m no poor kid.”

“I see!” Helki laughed. “So you’re sleeping on my doorstep in the cold because?”

Tok sunk. “I’m new in town, is all,” she said, humbly.

“Honey, there are a lot of girls just like you,” Helki said, kindly. “First day in town, right?”

Tok nodded.

“No money, right?”

Again.

“A _lot_ of girls just like you.” She had Tok sit on a barstool. “At least you’re not crying and giving me a sob story like most. You got some fire in you, kid.”

“It’s the first day of my new life,” Tok said, and was both embarrassed and surprised by the statement she’d just made.

“Oh, I _do_ like you!” Helki said. “Tell you what. I don’t have any beds here…this is just a bar…but it’s warm in the kitchen by the stove. If you don’t mind sleeping in the stairwell, I imagine the floor in the kitchen is at least a step up. So to speak.” She laughed at her own joke.

Tok was happy to hear it. “I won’t be a bother, and I’ll be looking for a job first thing in the morning,” she said.

“No problem, sugarplum,” Helki said.

And so Tok spent the night on the floor in the bar’s kitchen, feeling safe. In the morning, she set out to find a job, and was easily hired as a truck driver at Cabbage Corp, though she knew nothing at all about driving a truck. But, of course, this was neither a requirement nor a deterrent, given the shortage of workers in the city. She learned quickly, grinding gears at first, but picked it up easily, and at the end of two weeks she’d become comfortable with the task. She rented a room at a boarding house Helki recommended. And then she got her first payday, and she was overjoyed. She paid her rent there, and then she went back to the bar off Smellerbee and 32nd, and paid Helki a night’s rent for letting her sleep there.

Helki was amazed. “You _aren’t_ like a lot of the other girls, are you?” she said. “They never come back! What a sweetheart you are!”

She started becoming a regular there for her evening meal, and getting to know some of the women at the club. Helki was the mother she’d never known she needed. Helki, she learned, was always told she was a boy, but knew differently in her own heart, and when she ran away, she dressed as a woman and wore makeup. That was when she’d finally put together her feelings with her look.

She listened to the other club members, and Tok was amazed how similar their stories about their families were to her own. She learned about how they felt about each other, how some of them loved and lived together, and it had never occurred to her that there were others that felt that way; she simply assumed that her distaste for the boys was just something wrong with her.

She'd found a real home, at last, and was happy.

* * *

 

Miki’s journey was different. She was a pretty, popular girl from the Southern Tribe. She dated many boys, and was fond of their attention, but they were always fighting, it seemed. They fought each other for her attention, they fought each other for fun. It was _boring._

She grew up with an aunt who was often absent. She did some running around as a young teenager, getting into a little trouble. School was tiresome, and she tried not to be there as often as she could.

Still, Miki was good-looking, and that was enough for the boys. She just couldn’t choose from the many suitors, because there was always some small flaw in each of them that she found unacceptable.  She was more interested in having a job, and since she was a good cook, she took a position with Varrick Global Industries, as part of the kitchen staff on one of the young Varrick’s passenger ships. She could work all day without complaint… she loved her work. The chefs on the various ships competed for her assistance as often as the boys had tussled over her at the dances.

So Miki was able to see much of the world, whenever she came up on deck. From north to south and east to west, at the railing she saw the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe lands and everything in between.

She did this for a couple of years. Finally, when she’d seen all she wanted to see, she chose to settle down in Republic City. Her aunt was a little troubled that she decided to put down roots so far away from the South Pole, but the truth Miki never told her was that she was afraid she would fade away there, a pretty prize for an ambitious waterbender. Even if he were rich, she would never be sure if she were loved for who she was, or how she looked. None of the boys seemed to care much for her opinions.

In Republic City, she hoped, she could be independent, and would marry for love, not for someone’s ambition. She’d heard all the girls there were pretty, and that was a good thing. If somebody paid her attention, they’d have to really mean it.

She took a job at a nice restaurant, and settled down to work. She enjoyed it immensely, making different kinds of foods every day, crafting little artworks for appetizers, making elegant pastries and delicious desserts.

At the end of the day, once in a while, she might go on a date with one of the waiters. Maybe a customer would wait for her after her shift and ask, but she always turned those men down, and sometimes had to hide inside the restaurant until they were gone; it was a bad idea to mix her work with her social life, and those men were just looking for someone who couldn’t say no.

There was one, one time, though, who’d asked to see the chef after tasting one of her desserts. She came out into the dining room as asked, and a fine, handsome young gentleman smiled at her as she arrived at her table. He was elegantly dressed, with soft mannerisms, and he complimented her work. She thanked him kindly, and that was that. He returned several times afterward, ordering different desserts, and she was grateful for his praise, but puzzled that he didn’t ask her out as so many others had done.

He had the improbable and ridiculous name of Delbert. She'd never heard anything so weird sounding.

At last he did ask, and she was hesitant; but still, he’d never been rude or aggressive, as so many others had been. He asked her to go with him to the zoo, which was simple and public enough, and during the day, so what harm would it be?

They had their date, and he was a perfect companion, allowing her to take his arm as they strolled through the exhibits at the zoo. He knew something about every animal, and told her facts at every display. He had quite a lot to say about everything, in fact; he was intelligent and well-traveled, and she began to be uncomfortable about how little she learned in school. The more he spoke, the less she did.

But he bought her sweets, and lemonade, and he did nothing to push himself on her, and it was a nice date after all.

After that, he sent little gifts: perfume, and a lovely bracelet, and then a very fancy dress. He asked her out to safe places, different restaurants, the park. He was gentle with her.

Finally, he asked her to a dinner party. Many important people would be there, he said, and she should wear the dress he'd bought for her.  She was incredibly nervous, but agreed, thinking that if she just listened and watched, she would be fine. They were people just like she was, she reasoned. He was friendly and kind, so his friends must also be.

At the dinner party, she smiled at everyone who said hello to her, and Delbert introduced her to many people. But she said little more than her name before Delbert would strike up a conversation with them.

The discussion with one group of people turned to zoos, and Miki was relieved, because she'd learned a great deal about those animals from Delbert. One fat older fellow laughed and said the zoo in Republic City was nothing compared to the one in Ba Sing Se; it had been created by the Avatar himself before the war, and they had unusual animals like the rabbaroo.

"Oh! I seen those before!" Miki said excitedly. And she had, from the deck of a passenger ship during a break.

The group around her fell silent. Women covered their mouths, and the men either looked at the floor or at the ceiling.

"What?" she asked, embarrassed, but totally unsure what mistake she'd made. "I seen 'em from the cruise ship I worked on."

Delbert laughed, a terrible phony laugh, and took her by the elbow. "We should be getting on," he said, his cheeks flushed as well.

He took her home, in the back of an ostrich-horse cab, in complete silence.

"What did I do?" she pleaded. "I dunno what I did wrong!"

"You opened your lower-class mouth," Delbert growled. "I thought I had a good one... some nice arm candy to take to dinner who knew how to keep her Southern Water Tribe mouth shut. But no. Now they're laughing at me. I'll have to leave town for six months at least before this cock-up blows over."

Miki was humiliated. She was deeply insulted, and felt used, the same way every boy had tried to use her throughout her life. He didn't give two lychee nuts what she thought. She was a pretty prize to take to the ball, and nothing more.

As they rode toward her house, she grew more and more furious at him. Finally, as she was about to step out of the cab, she turned and hissed at him, "I'm better than you'll ever be. I don't wear people like ornaments."

"Ha! but you'll take their gifts just like every other slummy girl."

She hauled off and smacked him, hard, on the mouth. He bled onto his nice white shirt.

"You can have your stupid dress and this garbage bracelet back," and she threw the bracelet at him, and tore the dress off, walking to her door in only a slip.

"Don't you come back to the restaurant, ever. I warn you."

Delbert kept his hand over his bleeding mouth, and gestured at the driver to leave.

Inside her house, the tears rained down, and she swore never to date another man.

* * *

 

One afternoon, a new delivery driver from Cabbage Corp stopped in to deliver the cabbages. When the new driver saw Miki, she whistled long, and complimented her for being so pretty. When the boys did this, Miki glowered, but this was different… this was a young woman, after all. Her name was Tukkatok, she said, but Miki could call her Tok if she liked.

Tok was friendly and outgoing, and she told little jokes to make Miki laugh. She delivered cabbages and other vegetables every week, and Miki looked forward to her stop. Tok would linger a while, asking after her, to see how things were going. Miki was pleased to have a friend.

After a few months, Tok asked if Miki had plans for the weekend… of course she did, because the weekend was the busy time for every restaurant. Tok seemed a little disappointed, but then Miki told her that Mondays and Tuesdays were her days off, and perhaps she’d like to meet then.

Tok was delighted, and when Tok was happy, she practically bounced. She hummed a popular tune as she bounced back to her truck, waving and saying “See you Monday!”

Miki was rather nervous about her meeting with Tok. Her confidence was scarred. She wanted to impress her friend, but she was sure she wasn’t clever enough. Tok was always cracking jokes and making witty observations about the kitchen staff at the restaurant. Would Tok be interested in being her friend if she knew how little she knew about anything except cooking?

At the same time, Tok was absolutely terrified. She’d asked an actual woman on an actual date. What if Miki wasn’t interested in her… that way? Of course they’d still be friends, but Tok had a terrible crush on Miki and dreamed about her throughout the week. The stop at the restaurant was the highlight of her week, and she floated on air all afternoon and evening, remembering the smile Miki had for her.

Tok took together all the money she’d saved from her job, and planned an evening at the music hall, hoping the vaudeville show would be funny enough. She bought the best outfit she could afford… a new suit, in the latest Republic City fashion. She’d decided men’s clothes were much more comfortable for her frame, and she liked how she looked in them. She hoped Miki wouldn’t think it was strange.

Miki, for her part, had her own fine dress stored away; it was a little old-fashioned, belonging to her mother, but Mother was gone, and it was a beautiful dress regardless.

Monday evening came at last, after both had fretted the afternoon away, imagining disaster. Tok walked to her place, and when Miki opened the door, Tok, her heart pounding, presented her with a bouquet of lovely spring flowers.

Miki was quite surprised. No one had ever given her flowers before, man or woman. She hardly knew what to say, and without thinking bent and kissed Tok on the cheek. Tok blushed utterly crimson.

The flowers were promptly put in a glass of water, and they strolled out the door.

It was an awkward few minutes, as each struggled for a way to start a conversation. This was very different from seeing each other at work.

“So… where are we going?” Miki finally asked.

“Do you like to go to the music hall? There’s a vaudeville act there this week.”

“I haven’t been there before,” Miki admitted. “I don’t get out much.”

“Really?” Tok said, shocked.

“I go to work, and then I go home,” she said, shrugging.

“But… nobody asks you out on a date, ever?”

Miki didn’t answer immediately. She shook her head to try to forget.

“Nobody interesting,” she said. “Until now,” she added, glancing over. Tok was tomato-red again.

“Aw, come on!” Tok said, managing to fake a laugh, when she caught her breath, which had been taken away. “A pretty girl like you?”

“That’s all they care about, is the pretty,” she said, too bitterly.

Tok nearly stalled in the street. She resumed her stride, and asked, “But you don’t mind if I call you pretty?”

“No,” Miki said. “When you say it, it feels different.”

Tok’s mind was whirling. Certainly, the way Miki looked was what had caught her eye, at first, but she had spent enough time talking to her to know that Miki was sweet and gentle.

“Nobody’s ever called _me_ pretty,” Tok ventured, carefully.

Miki stopped on the boardwalk, turned, and looked her straight in the eye. “You’re beautiful,” she said. And then she turned back, and continued walking, a little briskly. She too was starting to blush.

Tok was thunderstruck. Miki was getting away, so she took a couple of jogging steps to catch up, and they walked together along the boardwalk for a while, not saying much.

“Do you like the music hall?” Miki asked.

“Oh, it’s great fun! They have singers, and dancers, and jugglers, and animals that do tricks! And they have funny men who tell hilarious stories. I think you’ll like it.”

“You tell hilarious stories too.”

“Aww,” Tok replied, blushing again. “I just like to see you laugh.”

“Then I hope they’re as good as you are.”

Tok’s grin was wide and she couldn’t make it stop. Miki was a joy to be with, and even if the night didn’t go the way she’d fantasized, if she dropped dead right now she’d be happy.

They moved to the safer subject of work gossip for a while, and Tok told her about some of her other stops on the route, and the dispatchers and drivers she’d met at Cabbage Corp. She was saving telling her about Helki’s bar for later, in case things went the way she was hoping. Miki offered stories about the chef’s quirks, and the restaurant owner, and of course some of the ridiculous things that restaurant diners demanded.

They were both in stitches, gasping to breathe and giggling, when finally they came to the music hall. The show was every bit as colorful and entertaining as Tok had promised, and she watched Miki’s face glow with pleasure at the music, singing the popular tunes with the crowd during the singalong. She oohed and aahed at the jugglers and acrobats, her eyes wide as the magician sawed his assistant in half. She tugged Tok’s sleeve, pointing at the tricks the animals did, and jumped up and down and clapped her hands in delight. And the funny men… Tok knew many of the jokes already, but watching Miki’s eyes streaming from laughter took her heart, and she knew she was falling in love.

After the show, they walked back to Miki’s place under the swinging lanterns, and Tok’s heart leapt when she felt Miki’s fingers take her hand as they walked along.

Then, at the door, stricken with a near-fatal case of shyness, she didn’t know what to say or do.

“That was so much fun,” Miki said. “Thank you so much.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Tok said. “I should thank you.”

“Not nothing, silly. That’s the best time I’ve had in forever.”

Tok smiled warmly. “Still, I should thank you. I had a great time too.”

What now? What now? Her ears were ringing. She wanted to kiss Miki more than she wanted to keep living, but she was frozen in place.

“I… I have to… work in the morning,” she said, finally.

“Oh,” Miki said, disappointed.

Again, silence, and no movement. Miki wasn’t turning to go inside. Why was she just standing there, looking so beautiful?

“Would you like to have dinner tomorrow?” Miki asked.

Tok let her breath go, which she just then realized she’d been holding.

“More than anything,” she said breathlessly. And then blushed, hot and red again.

Miki laughed, apparently relieved. Again, without thinking, she bent and kissed Tok’s cheek; and then, without thinking, Tok reached and took her face in her hands, and kissed her lips softly.

When they parted, Miki’s eyes were wide with surprise. So were Tok’s, and she waited for the world to crash down on her.

“What time?” Miki asked, after a little, and her face was finally as red as Tok’s.

“I’m done with work at six,” Tok said, baffled that she was still alive.

“Come by at seven, then,” Miki said. “I’ll make something special.” She turned to open her door, and took Tok’s hand in hers again. They looked at each other a long moment, and then, slowly closing her eyes and turning, she went inside.

Tok stood on the porch of the little house, paralyzed for a few minutes, and then turned and possibly floated all the way back to the boarding house and her room.

* * *

 

Miki was having trouble thinking. She’d never felt this way before. She’d _never_ felt _this_ way before. She went to her chair and flopped down into it.

Tok was so … not strange, but… _different._ She wasn’t like any of the girls Miki had known growing up. Some were tomboys and liked to play like the other boys when they were children, but she’d never known a woman quite like her. She'd sworn off men... but women?

And she _liked_ it. Liked _her._ She was a friend. She was her best friend, she realized. Twice she’d kissed her cheek, without thinking, because Tok just made her _happy._ And when Tok had kissed her back, the way she did… it felt _good._

She’d called her beautiful. Miki didn’t really know why she thought that, but it was true. Something in her eyes, something deeper than the shape of her face or her body. She was beautiful at heart.

But… was it supposed to work this way? Obviously women could be friends… her aunt had many friends, gossipy ladies who got together and cackled over pai sho and wine. Were any of them close?

Men? Did men have friendships like this either? It didn’t seem possible, because as far as she knew, men only ever fought each other, trying to one-up each other in every way imaginable.

And yet. Did it matter? Many, many of the old stories were about women who loved men and men who loved women… even the story of Yue and Sokka was famous in the Water Tribe, and Sokka lived here in Republic City, right now! Avatar Aang and Katara were known around the world for their love story. Would it make a big difference if down here, among the regular people of the world, it just happened that the man in the story wasn’t a man at all?

It was very confusing, but then again, it was really simple. Tok made her feel happy, made her feel important. Unlike every man she’d ever met, she couldn’t think of one thing about Tok that she didn’t like. Tok was interested in her thoughts more than her looks.

She’d promised to make dinner tomorrow. Something special. She got up from her chair and went to the tiny kitchen, and got her most worn, best trusted cookbook.

* * *

 

Tok went through her workday a little dazed and distracted. It had been hard to get to sleep, but once she did the dreams were worth it. In the morning her mind was full of images of Miki and her smile. She daydreamed perhaps a bit too much, putting a dent in the rear fender of the truck as she backed into a pole, missing the loading dock by a good foot and a half.

A thorough chewing out from the supervisor cleared her mind for a while, but her good record spoke for her, and she got off with just some yelling.

Still, Cloud Nine was pretty amazing, and she stayed there a good part of the day.

At six, she started to get nervous again. She second-guessed herself about Miki’s intentions… would she just have dinner to let her down soft? Maybe she just wanted to be friends, and they’d have a good talk about it and laugh later at the silliness.

Spirits, she hoped not.

She’d already spent her savings on that nice suit, but it wouldn’t look right to wear it again, but she didn’t want to just wear her work clothes either. She fled to Helki, needing advice.

“Oh sugar,” Helki laughed, “You’ve got it bad!”

“Come on, Helki! I need help!”

“I’m so much taller than you, hon. And I don’t have any of those old clothes anymore. Those were from the bad old days.”

“What do I _do,_ then?” Tok practically wailed.

“Listen, babycakes,” Helki said. “She wanted to see you again tonight. It ain’t because you had a nice suit. Here… I’ve got an idea.” She went back behind the bar, and brought out a silk scarf with a Fire Nation design. “Wear this like a cravat, and skip the jacket. It’ll be casual, but different. The new colors will be enough.”

“How do I tie a cravat?” Tok asked.

Helki rolled her eyes. “You young girls… I swear.”

* * *

 

Helki was such a dear woman, Tok thought, standing on Miki’s porch, holding a bottle of wine. She’d suggested flowers again, but Helki gave her the bottle with a firm “NO”.

When Miki came to the door, Tok took the vision in. She was wearing a more traditional Water Tribe dress, with open shoulders, and layers of blue and grey. It wasn’t new, but it didn’t need to be, because after that first glance she only looked at Miki’s face, and the smile on it. Her solemn duty was to keep that smile on that face.

She stepped in and handed Miki the bottle, and Miki cooed gratefully over it. It was a very good wine, and though Tok knew little about wines and vintages, Miki did, and was impressed with the selection. In her mind she thanked Helki once again.

Miki’s house was small: there was a tiny living room and a bedroom and the kitchen. The table for dinner was in the kitchen, lit by a single bright bulb on the ceiling. But even in that garish light, Tok was entranced now by every move Miki made, gracefully working her way through the kitchen, putting the serving dishes on the set table, covered with a neat white cloth and a pair of candles.

Finally, gesturing for Tok to sit, she lit the candles, and turned off the glaring overhead light.

It was like they’d entered the Spirit World.

Miki served specialties from around the world: spicy noodles from the Fire Nation, duck from the Earth Kingdom, stewed sea prunes in the Southern Water Tribe style. There was even a fruit pie made the way the Air Nomads had done more than a hundred years ago, the recipe preserved in a cookbook handed down by her grandmother.

Tok was astonished. Every bite was delicious beyond anything she’d ever tasted. Miki was talented. The wine complemented the dishes perfectly, and by the end of the meal the bottle was nearly gone, and they were both laughing at Tok’s silly jokes.

They moved out to the tiny living room, sitting in separate chairs in front of the fireplace, which Tok brought to life with a glowing fire. Tonight was much easier for talking, and each told the other about their youth, the ways they grew up and the differences between the North and South. They talked about the excitement of coming to Republic City, the things they’d been afraid of, and then, finally, how glad they were to find each other.

Miki slid out of her chair, and sat on the floor by the fire, and invited Tok to join her there. So she did, and they sat next to each other, close, watching the flames dance on the logs.

“You’re my best friend,” she said.

“And you’re mine,” Tok replied.

“But I should tell you something,” Miki said.

“Okay,” Tok said, hesitantly.

“I never felt like this before,” she admitted.

“Me neither.”

“This isn’t... _weird,_ is it?”

“No.”

“I feel… like…”

Tok waited, holding her breath again.

“…like…”

It was hard to get the words out of her mouth. So she just did it, and bent over to Tok, and kissed her, on the lips, gently, but not quickly. She lingered there, leaning into her, until Tok’s hand came up behind her back and held her there. They kissed again and again, and Tok’s blood rushed in her ears.

Miki sat back, at last.

“That felt good to me,” she said. “You’re much better than boys are.”

Tok was incapable of speaking.

Miki tried again, “That doesn’t sound right. That’s not what I mean.”

Tok touched her cheek. “Tell me what you mean. It’s just me and you.”

“I mean, I never knew it’d be so good. You’re so different. You’re… special.”

Tok was astounded yet again. “Me? I’m just… me!”

“But you make me feel… important. Like I matter.”

“Of course you matter!”

“Like I’m not just a pretty face. Like you care about me.”

“I do care about you!” Tok said, in a rush, before realizing it. “I mean…”

“I know what you mean, I think,” Miki said. “I think I mean the same thing.”

This time, when Tok leaned toward her, their lips met, parted slightly, and then their tongues, and it was exciting in a way Tok had never imagined. They kissed until they ran out of breath, and gasping, pulled apart, and then laughed.

“One of us needs a little practice,” Tok joked.

“You’re doing great!” Miki said, giggling.

“But…”

“But?”

“I still have to work in the morning.” Tok said.

“I know you do,” Miki said, running a hand along Tok’s shoulder, raising goosebumps. “You prob'ly shouldn’t stay much longer.”

Tok was devastated.

“When you come back tomorrow, we can practice some more.”

Her eyes were like saucers. Somehow, magically, unbelievably, her dreams were coming true, right here.

“But…”

“But?” Miki laughed.

“Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”

“I’ll prob'ly go home sick.”

Tok frowned. “But you’re not…”

“You might get sick tomorrow too.”

“I’m feeling pretty faint right now,” Tok said, catching on.

“Oh, poor dear,” Miki teased.

“I’ve never been sick like _this_ before.”

“Me neither.”

* * *

 

“And so, you know… we weren’t much more than kids then, really, and of course we had our tough times, but everybody has those. Love gets you through. After another month or so I moved in with her, and then another couple of years after that I started tending bar for Helki, and Miki worked in the kitchen, just so we’d have more than weekends together.”

“And then Helki retired. She was such wonderful woman, wasn’t she?” Kya said.

“I miss her more than my own mother,” Tok said, with a little catch in her voice.

“She _was_ your mother, in the most important way,” Kya reassured her. “Good moms are like that.”

Miki came out of the kitchen now, bearing a tray. “Fruit pie?” she asked.

“Absolutely!"

Miki put the plate before her, and Kya tasted. It was extraordinary, and the crust was as light as air. "Are you kidding me?" she asked, in wonder.

"Old Airbender recipe."

Tok smiled her wide smile. “That’s my girl, there.”

* * *

 

In the middle of the night, Lin came home. She tiptoed into the bedroom and closed the door.

“What are you doing here?” Kya asked, sleepily, rolling over. “I thought you were coming home tomorrow.”

“I couldn’t wait anymore. I had to get back.” She slipped into the bed.

“How did the speech go?”

“Great. Don’t care right now. Very tired.” Lin kissed Kya's cheek.

Kya rolled back, and took Lin's face in her hands, and kissed her lips, softly.

"I have to work in the morning," she said.

"You should call in sick."

"But I'm not..."

"Don't you feel... faint?"

"Well... now that you mention it..."

"I think I'm catching it too."

"You're a healer, Kya," Lin said, a little too amused.

"Then I need to tend to my patient," she said. "Will you just play along, Beifong?"

"Oh, my, I feel so... woozy..."

"That's it... there, there," Kya murmured. "I'll make sure you feel _much_ better in the morning."

**Author's Note:**

> I was asked to write more about these characters, and hey, why not?


End file.
